4 Thoughts to Make You Mentally Stronger

You know what one of the most powerful tools in life is? Being MENTALLY STRONG. And the only reason I feel qualified to say this or share these thoughts with you is because I spent too many years being mentally weak.

I could tell you my story about the years I spent in mental weakness but honestly, my story doesn’t matter because its unique to ME. But I will share what DOES matter – my mental state shifted.

Here are four thoughts I’ve developed that have made me mentally strong. (And some of them have nothing to do with fitness.)

1. MOVE ON

Where do I even begin?

There are just far too many examples to list, but the bottom line is, when something happens that really sucks — no matter what it is — we have a choice in how we handle it.

The bigger part of me wants to sulk and feel sorry for myself. It wants to lay in bed at night and keep myself up with thoughts of “why did that happen to me” and “what went wrong?”

It wants to take my peace and eat up my joy by replaying the scenario over and over. I’ve been here. Haven’t we all?

But guys, the show must go on. It’s either going to go on while I wallow in self-pity, or it’s going to go on while I look at and handle the facts, dust myself off, and try to learn from it. Start choosing the latter.

2. DON’T SHY AWAY FROM CHALLENGES

I kind of shuddered as I typed that. Challenges are….well, challenging.

But it’s so nice and comfy here inside of my bubble of what I know! Yes, yes, I know. I feel you.

Challenges rarely feel good as you’re going into them. But DANG do they feel good when you’re on the other side. And the most beautiful part about going through a challenge— inside or outside of the gym — it changes you.

It brings you to a higher level. It lifts your confidence. It shows you new things. It reveals a layer of you that you didn’t know existed.

IT’S WORTH IT.

3. HAVE GOALS, BUT REALIZE THERE’S NO FINAL DESTINATION

You mean it goes on and on forever?!

If it’s something good, like working on your happiness, or making fitness a part of your life, you want to view it as a journey, not a destination.

Do you want to know why (in my opinion) most people crash and burn when they start a workout regimen? Because they view it as a destination, not a journey.

They want to lose X amount of pounds, they want to add X amount of muscle, they want to wear the same pants they wore 15 years ago, they want to look their best for their upcoming reunion/wedding/vacation/competition….the list goes on.

And most burn out before they ever reach their goal! Or they reach their goal and then let go of the habits they worked so hard to create.

Let’s talk about someone outside of the fitness scenario. Think about someone who has been going to counseling for depression, or a recovering addict. Imagine what would happen if they didn’t apply those valuable principles that helped them out of their darkness to their life every day.

I’ve learned that even when I’m working towards a goal, the journey doesn’t stop when I get there. And that should be exciting, not depressing.

We can always move forward, we can always improve, we can always move to the next level!

4. ACCEPT THAT YOU AREN’T EVERYONE’S CUP OF TEA

Ouch. This one took me a while to learn…and accept. But once I did, it gave me a great freedom to be myself — unapologetically.

There were many years that I would try to hide my quirkiness or not share my real thoughts on something in order to please others or fit in.

And can I tell you something? I value the relationships with those who love the REAL me SO MUCH MORE than the relationships that made me hide or pretend for people who didn’t value the authentic me. Being unapologetically you is liberating — you should try it.

I want to share a poem that helped me make this transition called, “Our Deepest Fear” by Marianne Williamson (often mistakenly cited as a Nelson Mandela quote).

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us;
It’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

By Marianne Williamson

You may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you just might be someone’s favorite — that’s why there’s different flavors.

Do you struggle with a poor mental perspective? If you want encouragement, prayer, or just someone to listen, reach out to me personally at Emelia@racktheweight.com. We can rack the weight together.